WSJ article on how billion-dollar firms are choosing to stay private rather than deal with the hassles of going public.
Ragy Thomas, founder and chief executive of New York-based startup Sprinklr Inc., which helps brands manage their social-media presence, recently raised a round of venture funding that valued his company at more than $500 million. In the past, a firm like his would be charting an IPO path, but he has no such plans. “I don’t want to deal with roadshows and compliance and regulatory stuff, and all the other overhead [of being a public company],” he said.
Are public markets over-regulated? The fact that retail investors don't have access to these companies (and these companies don't have access to retail investors) is troubling.